After an old legal case involving the agency BIG HIT and the BTS, a new controversy was revealed this week. HYBE is being accused of being associated with a religious cult in South Korea and the K-Pop group has again been named in the allegations. Because of this, this Thursday (2), a new statement was issued on the matter, highlighting that legal measures will be taken, as none of the information circulated is true.
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Understand the case about the religious cult x BTS
The religious cult that is having repercussions is called Dahn World and was created by Ilchi Leewhich is defined as a “an author and educator who helps people use their brain’s full potential” — despite the media also presenting him as a guru. He has written numerous books and founded the Global Cyber University (GCU).
The study institution is famous among K-pop idols, as its admission process is simple and completion can be done virtually. Additionally, enrolling in college helps delay military enlistment.
BTS members attended the Global Cyber University
In this sense, the first speculation about HYBE’s involvement with Dahn World stems from the fact that six of the seven members of the BTS attended GCU. The institution’s centers did not hesitate to use the group’s name in promoting their programs — although some blog posts and other traces have since been deleted, according to the website Koreaboo.
That said, the teachings of Lee have been closely investigated by people who still think the Dahn World’s ties to its ‘followers’ are too deep to be considered coincidental.
“The theology that members were required to disseminate was a bit shaky. For a time, Lee promised his followers that after they had harnessed enough energy through something called ‘brain breathing,’ they would fly to a ‘star of enlightenment’ aboard a spaceship shaped like a golden turtle.”says a report made by the North American Rolling Stone about Dahn World.
Song “Attack on Bangtan” is related to religious worship
Furthermore, a song from BTS it would also be part of HYBE’s agenda with Dahn World. “Attack on Bangtan”launched in 2013, gained prominence thanks to an old online publication that links the excerpt “Squeeze your stomach and take a deep breath!” to religious worship, because it would be one of Lee’s teachings.
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BIG HIT and Dahn World speak out
In its statement, BIG HIT stated:
“We would like to update you on the status of legal measures taken to protect BTS members against the violation of their rights.
We would like to clarify that recent allegations of hoarding, plagiarism of concepts and affiliations with Dahn World or any religious cult are completely false.
The company decided that the recent movement to spread rumors and false information had become excessive and previously announced that a separate law firm would be hired to decisively address these matters.
Therefore, we identified and compiled several posts containing incorrect information intended to defame and slander the artists, and filed the initial round of criminal complaint with law enforcement agencies today, on May 2nd. This compilation includes posts that were systematically uploaded and then deleted, as well as posts from authors who have since deleted their accounts. We will persist in our legal proceedings through continuous monitoring and evidence collection.
We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for filing civil and criminal complaints against individuals who attempt to tarnish the reputations of our artists by spreading malicious falsehoods. We will not offer leniency or settlements, ensuring that offenders are punished appropriately, without exception.
We offer our sincerest apologies to BTS fans for the anguish they have suffered over the past few weeks. We are committed to taking all necessary measures to protect the rights of our artists. Thank you for your unwavering love and support for BTS.”
Additionally, Dahn World released a video on their official YouTube channel that says: “Dahn World has nothing to do with Hybe. We will take legal action regarding the unfair controversy currently occurring. Please stop the malicious and indiscriminate instigation against Dahn World. We will take legal action as careless comments will be deleted without notice.”
